Within a summer full of talk-worthy new music, movies, and TV, three A&E writers come together to discuss their favorite pieces of media from the summer.

“Vampire Empire” – Big Thief

Social media has made it nearly impossible for musicians to play unreleased music live without it spreading to the masses. This past spring and summer, American indie folk band Big Thief’s previously unreleased single, “Vampire Empire,” had spread to seemingly every corner of the internet. It had been a part of their setlist for a while but recently popped up on the radars of a broader audience. It’s difficult not to be utterly captivated by this song. 

Vocalist and songwriter Adrianne Lenker has a very guttural quality to her voice on this track that was only further intensified on the recording released on July 19. The combination of Lenker’s vocals and the hard-hitting lyricism on “Vampire Empire” makes for a very cathartic listening experience both live and on the recording. There was some contention between the band and listeners after many expressed disappointment with a lyric change and the intensity of the vocals once the song was released. 

Big Thief responded on Instagram in the comments of their post for the single, “We weren’t gonna go into the studio and replicate what we played on Colbert … Plus, there’s no way it would’ve been the same because songs are vessels for the expressions of our present selves, and not to be highly manicured concoctions polished to be consumed based on demand.” This issue has opened up an interesting conversation about art and what artists owe the public, if anything at all. 

Seeing Big Thief live at the Greek Theater in Berkeley was easily one of the biggest highlights of my summer, and screaming along to this song is easily one of my favorite concert experiences ever. I felt a similar release of emotion whenever I would sing along to the song in the car with my best friend all summer. Although lyrics like, “Well, I walked into your dagger for the last time / It’s like trying to start a fire with matches in the snow” don’t typically evoke a fun, sunny California summer, they will forever remind me of some of the best months of my life thus far. 

– Sofia Shaw, Staff Writer

Mission to see Greta Van Fleet’s “Starcatcher”

I remember showing my sister (HI JELLY) a live video on Instagram of Greta Van Fleet performing a song called “Light My Love” and being in awe at the way the lead singer — Josh Kiszka — sounded live. From that point, we were determined to go to one of their concerts and see for ourselves how Kiszka sounded live. From May until our concert date in August, we listened to every Greta Van Fleet album on repeat. It wasn’t until July 21 that their third studio album “Starcatcher” was released, and my sister and I knew that in the next couple of weeks, our journey would be complete. We were obsessed. The vocal strength in Josh Kiszka’s voice was unreal. His twin brother, Jake Kiska, the lead guitarist had incredible solos including consistent run, sprinkled throughout the album. “Starcatcher,” although different from their previous album, “The Battle at Gardens Gate,” which was more of an energetic rock, sounded more folksy. 

The highlight of the album for me was the song “Fate Of The Faithful.” The vocals were where my interest peaked, specifically with Kiszka’s unique runs that itched my brain perfectly. As for my sister, her standout favorite was “The Archer” which displays Kiszka’s skills perfectly in the intro. This song fully encompasses the album as it has a mix of folk and rock sounds with an incredibly strong chorus. 

When the day of the concert came, our excitement was unreal. The visuals consisted of explosions of fire, changes in wardrobe, and various stage location changes. The lead guitarist Jake really got to shine through about four jaw-dropping solos that displayed his true talent. Josh Kiska’s live vocals were unreal, there were high notes and runs that left my sister and I speechless. After about two hours of an amazing performance, the last song to play was the one that brought us there: “Light My Love.” 

It ended with colorful smoke and fireworks, leaving my sister and I feeling fully satisfied and wanting more. I guarantee that next tour, we will be there, sitting front row and ready to relive that exact feeling again.

– Yamile Peel, Staff Writer

Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour

For last year’s A&E summer hits article, I wrote about Beyoncé’s latest album “Renaissance.” It was my favorite album of the year and I — like many others — was determined to see her on tour. Fast forward a year later and I was entering So-Fi Stadium clad in all silver, ready to take part in the summer renaissance. Even though I had prepared by watching TikTok videos of the tour, the videos didn’t hold a candle to seeing it live. 

Before the main show even began, opener DJ Khaled brought out an array of artists to hype up the crowd including 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, Roddy Rich, Coi Leray, Offset, and Lil Wayne. The excitement from seeing these Hip-Hop artists didn’t even have a chance to wear off before the first of many visuals appeared, signaling the start of the show. Before I knew it, Beyoncé herself was rising from the stage, and the stadium was engulfed in her beautiful voice. 

The setlist began with slower R&B songs from her older albums that showcase how wonderfully her voice has aged over the years before delving into the “Renaissance” album. The futuristic set design matched with bright pink, green, silver, and gold made the songs come alive. Songs that stood out during the performance were “CHURCH GIRL” and “VIRGO’S GROOVE” which showcased her vocal range. Throughout the night, she performed other hits of hers like “Formation,” “Run the World,” “Savage Remix,” and “My Power,” in which she brought out her daughter Blue-Ivy Carter to perform alongside her. Not only was Carter’s popular dance choreography amazing, but the choreography throughout was stellar, including the ball that the dancers did towards the end of the show, paying homage to the New York ballroom scene of the ‘80s. She also had several moments when she engaged with the audience, such as when she had us sing “Love on Top” acapella for her like it was a talent show, and the viral “mute challenge” that the Los Angeles night one show did fairly okay in. 

The night passed by in singing, dancing, and fun, and the next thing I knew, she was closing out the tour with “SUMMER RENAISSANCE” while flying over the crowd on a glittery horse. The Renaissance tour was an experience that can never be replicated and will never be forgotten. So in “CUFF IT” when she asks “Have you ever had fun like this?” my answer is: not until now.

-Kamiah Johnson, A&E Co-Editor

Graphic by Xuan Ly; Images courtesy of Rolling Stone, Song and Fury Blog, InStyle